Using an electric mixer, beat the ricotta and sugar until they are smooth.

For the filling, heat the milk, butter, vanilla bean and seeds and 1 tbsp of sugar in a pan on medium.

Grease and flour 12 loose-based flan tins, sized 10cm (4 in) in diameter. Remove from the processor, wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Add the eggs and zest and pulse until the dough forms a ball around the blade.

For the pastry, place the sugar and butter in a food processor.

400g (14oz) sheep’s milk ricotta (or cow’s milk ricotta).

Top filling with lemon zest, fresh berries and dust with powdered sugar.These Mixed Berry Tartlets are perfect for the summer served with some vanilla ice-cream.

Fill the pastry with cream cheese filling, smoothing out right to the edges.

This will give you a pastry pocket (you can use a knife to recut the edges if your lines baked together while in the oven).

Using your hand gently press the centre of the pastry down.

Add the rest of the whipping cream and continue to fold until combined.

Add half the whipping cream to the cream cheese mixture, gently fold together.In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy.In a mixer whip whipping cream until soft peaks form then add vanilla extract and mix to combine.Next, transfer your pastry onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 -12 minutes or until golden and puffed.Make a few pricks in the centre of the rectangle to let air escape as it bakes. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Using a sharp knife score a rectangle around the edges of the pastry approx.

Roll out 1 sheet puff pastry onto a large piece of parchment paper.Top with fresh berries and dust with powdered sugar. Then, fill with cream cheese filling and spread out evenly. Gently push down the centre where you scored your lines, and re-cut lines if needed. Once baked, pastry should be golden and puffed. Using a sharp knife score a rectangle around the edges of the pastry approx. If you’ve had your pastry out too long, pop it back in the fridge or freezer to firm the dough back up before baking. This will help ensure you get those beautiful layers! Sometimes working in the kitchen it gets hot or we get busy doing other things all the while our pastry (and those fats) warm up. If your pastry gets wet or sits too long in moisture it will stick together and you won’t be able to roll it out.Īlways keep puff pastry cold. So try and remember the night before to take it out of the freezer and place it in the fridge to thaw slowly and gradually. Most importantly is thinking a day ahead! You cannot use frozen pastry to make a dessert, you need to let it thaw before using it. There are a few tricks when working with frozen puff pastry. Puff pastry can be made by hand or you can buy frozen sheets at your local grocery store (and all you have to do is bake it). It’s layered and folded over itself many times to give a light, puffy and airy pastry once baked. Puffy pastry is a beautiful laminated dough composed of dough and butter.

Remember to take the puff pastry out of the freezer the night before and defrost it in the fridge overnight. Puff pastry is simple and fun to work with and is always a hit! The only warning I’ll give is to make sure you defrost it in advance. I absolutely love the ease of this summer, fresh dessert. I’d recommend making the cheese filling the day of, as it will start to firm up once you put in the fridge, making it difficult to spread out on the puff pastry. And when you are ready to serve the dessert all you have to do is fill it with the cream cheese filling and top it with fresh berries. You can do this up to two days in advance. The puff pastry base is a simple roll out, score and bake. What’s great about this berry cheese tart is you can make the base in advance.

Mixed berry tart recipe